iSpot and iSpot Mobile are participatory science applications that allow users to identify and share observations of natural history. iSpot has over 250,000 observations, 280,000 images, 30,000 registered users who have identified 7,000 species. The iSpot mobile app enables this functionality on smartphones, allowing users to upload observations and identify species offline or online. An evaluation found the app to be stable, easy to use and intuitive. Future plans include expanding internationally with improved social and mapping tools.

1. iSpot and iSpot Mobile:
A Participatory Science Application
for Natural History
Will Woods and Doug Clow

2. www.ispot.org.uk

3. 
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250,000 observations
>280,000 images
>30,000 registered users
7,000 species identified

4. Broadcasts
Quizzes
Experts
iSpot
iSpot Keys
Mentors
Formal
learning &
OER
Users

5. Cumulative % identified
Rapid response of the iSpot social network
Time taken for the first ID to be offered
n = 64,669 Observations submitted without an ID

6. iSpot
networking
Observation
Identifier
n = 506

7. iSpot
Coverage
in the UK

8. Global iSpot

9. Benefits of mobile
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Availability: more phones than PCs
Portability: in your pocket
Immediacy: instant on
Context: GPS
Connectivity: links to web
Social interaction: links to people
Individuality: personal

10. Mobile issues
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Connectivity?
Platform specificity?
Cost?
Accessibility?
Interface constraints?
Equity?

11. Purpose of App
• To allow users to upload
observations and interact with the
iSpot community whilst outdoors
• To enable iSpot website
functionality on a mobile device in
a native format using the
enhanced capabilities of a multitouch mobile phone

12. Browser
 Cross-platform
 *Connectivity required
 Zero installation
 Restricted functionality

13. App
 Platform specific
 Off-line use feasible
 New marketplace
 Full functionality

14. iSpot mobile keys
phones with large touch screen
phones with small screen and cursor
http://www.ispotnature.org/mobilekeys

15. iSpot app for Android phones

16. iSpot app functionality
• Upload observation
– Photo, location, identification
• Browse observations
– Own observations
– Latest observations
• Provide identification; agree identification
• Manage profile & account
• Social, personal and community aspects
– Commenting and identifying observations
– “around here” functionality
– filtering

17. “Overall I have found the app to be extremely stable, easy to
navigate and fairly intuitive.”
“Pull down icon menu intuitive once you try it for the first time”
“Tried taking photo of pot plant and identifying it. Intuitive interface. Easy to
add details. Recognised my location. …Pleased to see my first observation
appear on iSpot.”

18. “The app crashed only once
in more than two hour's use,
which is a very noticeable
improvement on the last
version.”
“'Around here' map
showing locations of
observations in my
immediate vicinity seems
clear …and easy to use”

19. Future Mobile Plans
• Responsive Design Site + Cross Platform App
– HTML5 i.e. available across device types
– International rather than UK specific
– Regional mapping layers (localisation)
– Incorporating user feedback
– Improved social tools
– Ecology relationships
– Bioblitz (surveying) included

20. www.ispotnature.org
• iSpot Team: Jonathan Silvertown, Doug Clow, Will
Woods, Richard Greenwood, Richard Lovelock, Greg
Roach, Mike Dodd, Martin Harvey, Rachel Ward, Jon
Rosewell, Janice Ansine, iSpot Mentors…and the
community!
•
Photos: Mike Dodd, Jonathan Silvertown, Martin Harvey
Will.Woods@open.ac.uk
@willwoods
Doug.Clow@open.ac.uk
@dougclow